Roof leak detection in Edmonton: infrared and moisture surveys

Wet insulation loses much of its insulating value, adds weight to the structure and, over time, can corrode a steel deck or rot a wood one. It also stays wet for years under an intact membrane, because there is nowhere for the water to go. Finding it lets you remove it before it causes more damage.

In Edmonton, wet insulation has one more cost. Water in the roof freezes in winter, and the repeated freeze-thaw breaks down insulation boards and pushes up on the membrane above. A small wet area left alone through two or three winters is usually much larger by the time it shows.

A recover, installing a new roof over the existing one, is only appropriate where the existing insulation and deck are dry. A moisture survey is the step that answers that question. If the wet area is limited, it can be cut out and replaced, and the rest of the roof recovered, often at a lower cost than a full tear-off. If large areas are wet, the survey gives you the evidence that a tear-off is the right investment. Manufacturers often require a survey before they will warranty a recover.

A survey shows where the roof is wet. Finding the exact opening takes a closer look. We work outward from the wettest readings toward the nearest seams, flashings, penetrations and drains, which is where most openings are. Where a leak is still hard to find, controlled water testing (flooding one small area at a time while someone watches below) can confirm the source.

On ballasted, inverted and vegetated roofs, where the membrane cannot be seen, electronic leak detection can locate breaches by passing a low-voltage current across the wet membrane surface. We can arrange electronic leak detection where a roof calls for it.